Patents Examined by Michael A. Lyons
  • Patent number: 12203741
    Abstract: A method of optical measurement for determining a spatial position of at least one luminous object in a sample includes: projecting onto the sample a dynamically optimized sequence of compact luminous distributions of different topological families; wherein the dynamically optimized sequence is determined based on data selected from the group consisting of a positioning hypothesis and a first set of measures; for each compact luminous distribution in the optimized sequence, generating an image of the at least one luminous object as illuminated thereby; and algorithmically analyzing the generated images to obtain spatial position information of the at least one luminous object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2025
    Assignee: Bioaxial SAS
    Inventor: Gabriel Y Sirat
  • Patent number: 12196551
    Abstract: A broadband interferometry for a measurement range extension beyond a coherence length of a light source is achieved through a local oscillation of the reference beam is replicated by a cavity multiplication or cascading optical delayed lines with a fiber optic cavity, and quantifiable optical properties including a wavelength group delay, a chromatic dispersion, a polarization mode dispersion and a model dispersion are inserted into the local oscillation of the reference beam to incrementally quantify the replicated copies of the local oscillation as the number of the delayed copies of the local oscillation increase for extension of a measurement rage to the target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2025
    Assignee: AUTOMATED PRECISION INC.
    Inventors: Yongwoo Park, Shuai Sun, Kam Lau
  • Patent number: 12196550
    Abstract: An optical measurement system measuring optical parameters of an object is provided. The object includes at least two light-transmitting layers. The optical measurement system includes a light source module, an image capture module, and a controller. The light source module emits at least two measurement light beams toward the object. The measurement light beams are respectively incident on the object at different angles. The image capture module receives light spots formed on a sensing surface of the image capture module by at least two first light beams after the measurement light beams are reflected by the object and at least two second light beams after the measurement light beams are refracted and reflected between the object. The controller is electrically connected to the image capture module to obtain positions of the light spots. The controller calculates the optical parameters of the object according to the positions of the light spots.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2025
    Assignee: National Cheng-Kung University
    Inventors: Chien-Sheng Liu, Wen-Yu Shih
  • Patent number: 12181279
    Abstract: The invention refers to an optical device for heterodyne interferometry, comprising a chip, a beam splitter, a first waveguide arranged on the chip, light propagating in the first waveguide being guided to the beam splitter, a second waveguide arranged on the chip, light propagating in the second waveguide being guided to and/or from the beam splitter, wherein the beam splitter, the first waveguide, and the second waveguide form part of a Michelson interferometer, wherein the first waveguide and the second waveguide at least partially form two arms of the Michelson interferometer, and wherein two further arms of the Michelson interferometer are at least partially arranged outside the chip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: CHAMARTIN LABORATORIES LLC
    Inventors: Richard Grote, Jeffrey Driscoll, Alexander Gondarenko
  • Patent number: 12181278
    Abstract: This application discloses a measurement apparatus that does not use a femtosecond laser light source and a delay stage. The measurement apparatus mixes a first laser light from a first CW laser light source and a second laser light from a second CW laser light source to generate an interference light having a beat in a range from GHz to THz and demultiplexes the interference light into a pump light and a probe light. A generating photoconductive antenna is irradiated with the pump light, and a detecting photoconductive antenna is irradiated with the probe light. A current value of an electromagnetic wave propagating through a waveguide connecting the generating photoconductive antenna and the detecting photoconductive antenna is measured using a current system connected to the detecting photoconductive antenna.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
    Inventors: Katsumasa Yoshioka, Masayuki Hashisaka, Koji Muraki, Norio Kumada
  • Patent number: 12181277
    Abstract: A laser interferometer includes a light source that emits first laser light, an optical modulator that includes a vibrator and modulates the first laser light by using the vibrator to generate second laser light including a modulated signal, a photodetector that receives interference light between third laser light including a sample signal generated by reflecting the first laser light on an object and the second laser light to output a light reception signal, a demodulation circuit that demodulates the sample signal from the light reception signal based on a reference signal, and an oscillation circuit that outputs the reference signal to the demodulation circuit, and the vibrator is a signal source of the oscillation circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kohei Yamada, Takeshi Shimizu
  • Patent number: 12181346
    Abstract: Disclosed herein an apparatus and method for estimating a phase retarder and method of manufacturing the phase retarder using the same. The apparatus includes: a polarization element configured to output an incident light as a linear polarization and to make the linear polarization incident onto a phase retarder to be tested; a polarization image acquisition module equipped with a plurality of polarized pixels receiving an emitting light that is output from the phase retarder, on which the linear polarization is incident, and configured to obtain a polarization image based on the emitting light that is modulated in the polarized pixels; and a processor configured to evaluate quality of the phase retarder based on uniformity of a brightness value between polarized pixels of the polarization image. The polarized pixels modulate the emitting light based on a plurality of transmission angles and detects the modulated emitting light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventors: Ki Hong Choi, Joong Ki Park, Kee Hoon Hong
  • Patent number: 12181583
    Abstract: A method for scanning a scene is disclosed. According to the method, light is transmitted by a transmitter through a transmitter surface grating array, as a first elliptical pattern in a first lateral direction. Light is received by a receiver through a receiver surface grating array, from an area of a second elliptical pattern. The received light is reflected from the first elliptical pattern. The first elliptical pattern is orthogonal to the second elliptical pattern. The first elliptical pattern overlaps with the second elliptical pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: ACACIA COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Christopher Doerr, Long Chen
  • Patent number: 12174017
    Abstract: A composite measurement system for measuring nanometer displacement is provided. The system includes: a light source, a polarization beam splitting prism, a first phase change module, a second phase change module, a first right-angle prism, a second right-angle prism, a non-polarization beam splitting prism, a scalar interference light collection module, a vector interference light collection module and a displacement calculation module. In the present disclosure, a photodetector is configured to collect an intensity of scalar interference light of the object to be measured being moved, to obtain a periodic light intensity change curve; a CCD camera is configured to collect images of interference vortex light of the object being moved; and the displacement calculation unit is configured to calculate a displacement of the object according to integer periods of the light intensity change curve and angles of image changes of the interference vortex light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2024
    Assignee: National Institute of Metrology, China
    Inventors: Yushu Shi, Shu Zhang, Fang Wang, Lei Pi, Xiangpeng Bu
  • Patent number: 12176188
    Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein include a diagnostic substrate. In an embodiment, the diagnostic substrate comprises a substrate, a circuit board on the substrate, and a spectrometer coupled to the circuit board. In an embodiment, the diagnostic substrate further comprises a processor on the circuit board and communicatively coupled to the spectrometer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2024
    Assignee: Applied Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Chuang-Chia Lin, Wenwei Qiao
  • Patent number: 12169124
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides an OCT imaging system to reduce or eliminate frequency-domain aliasing artifacts. The frequency is shifted using a carrier frequency to define a sampling range substantially centered on the carrier frequency. An image of the sample is generated from a displayed imaging range that consists of a subset of the frequencies within the sampling range. Furthermore, the system may be configured to determine the carrier frequency such that a Nyquist frequency corresponding to the shifted frequency is extended beyond either an upper or a lower bound of an OCT quality envelope corresponding to the first portion of light. Additionally, the carrier frequency may be determined such that a lower bound of the OCT quality envelope is greater or less than a zero-frequency DC limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2024
    Assignee: NINEPOINT MEDICAL, INC.
    Inventors: Eman Namati, Muhammad Al-Qaisi, Matthew A. Sinclair, Benedikt Graf, David Vader
  • Patent number: 12146807
    Abstract: Systems, methods and device provided for combining or splitting laser beams, including a plurality of optical fibers for providing laser beams, an image relay lens for each of the plurality of optical fibers, positioning a prism beam combiner or splitter after the image relay lenses for combining or splitting the laser beams. According to another aspect, the a prism beam combiner or splitter may include a flattened tip to transmit a portion of an input laser beam, a position sensitive detector to receive the transmitted portion of the input laser beam to track a beam axis motion and provide feedback alignment error signals based on the beam axis motion, and a driver to receive the feedback alignment error signals and to drive a motor or piezo actuated beam steering minor based on the feedback alignment error signals, wherein a laser bond inspection method implements the described systems and methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2024
    Assignee: Sunrise International, Inc.
    Inventors: Craig T. Walters, David Sokol
  • Patent number: 12140425
    Abstract: The invention discloses a four-quadrant interferometry system based on an integrated array wave plate. PBS splits an output laser light into two paths, the reflected light and the transmitted light are respectively transformed into reference light and measuring light, the reference light and the measuring light are converged in PBS, the converging light enters a signal receiving unit and is split into four beams, and the four beams irradiate on a four-quadrant interference signal detector with an integrated array wave plate. The invention solves the problems that the existing signal detection system occupies a large space, is not conducive to array integration, and cannot be used in scenes with high space and size requirements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2024
    Assignee: National Institute of Metrology, China
    Inventors: Xiaofei Diao, Xinrui Fan
  • Patent number: 12140426
    Abstract: A time-domain or frequency domain system includes, a sample light path between a source interface and a detector interface, a reference light path between the source interface and the detector interface, and a photonic integrated circuit, wherein the reference light path is at least partially separate from the sample light path, wherein the sample light path includes a forward sample light path between the source interface and a sample interface, and a backward sample light path between the sample interface and the detector interface, wherein the forward sample light path and the backward sample light path are at least partially provided by the photonic integrated circuit, and wherein the photonic integrated circuit includes an integrated sample-side polarization beam splitter arranged in the forward sample light path and the backward sample light path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2024
    Assignee: AIT AUSTRIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY GMBH
    Inventors: Rainer Hainberger, Stefan Nevlacsil
  • Patent number: 12135211
    Abstract: A device for measuring a substrate for semiconductor lithography with a reference interferometer for ascertaining the change in the ambient conditions, wherein the reference interferometer comprises a means for changing the optical path length of a measurement section of the reference interferometer, and a method for correcting cyclic error components in the reference interferometer using same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2024
    Assignee: Carl Zeiss SMT GmbH
    Inventors: Stephan Zschaeck, Uwe Horn, Thomas Kutzner, Oliver Jaeckel
  • Patent number: 12123701
    Abstract: A system for measuring the topography of a surface including a carriage assembly and a base assembly. The carriage assembly comprising a plurality of displacement-measuring probes coupled to a carriage support structure. The base assembly positioned adjacent to the carriage assembly and comprising at least one reference object with an opening sized to receive a test object. At least one of the carriage assembly or the base assembly is configured to translate with respect to the other in at least two directions to enable at least one of the displacement-measuring probes to measure a displacement to a reference surface of the reference object and at least another one of the displacement-measuring probes to measure a displacement to a target surface of the target object whose topography is measured.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2024
    Assignee: OPTIPRO SYSTEMS, LLC
    Inventor: James Fredric Munro
  • Patent number: 12104901
    Abstract: Methods and systems of eliminating corrupting influences caused by the propagation medium and the data capture devices themselves from useful image features or characteristics such as the degree of symmetry are disclosed. The method includes the steps of obtaining image-plane data using a plurality of data capture devices, wherein the image-plane data is a combined visibility from each of the data capture devices, measuring the closure phase geometrically in the image-plane directly from the image-plane, removing the corruptions from the image features based on the measured closure phase to remove the non-ideal nature of the measurement process, and outputting the uncorrupted morphological features of the target object in the image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2024
    Assignee: Associated Universities, Inc.
    Inventors: Nithyanandan Thyagarajan, Christopher L. Carilli
  • Patent number: 12092446
    Abstract: The invention relates to a measurement and/or sensor device, comprising a camera and a memory unit, and comprising data stored in the memory unit for controlling the measurement and/or sensor device, wherein the measurement and/or sensor device has a protection device for the memory unit, which protects the data stored in the memory unit against unauthorized alteration, and the data stored in the memory unit are adjustment data for adjustment of the measurement and/or sensor device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2024
    Assignee: WIPOTEC GMBH
    Inventors: Bernd Zinke, Stefan Schulz, Rene Elspass
  • Patent number: 12085387
    Abstract: An OCT system includes a broadband light source and illumination optics that projects the generated broadband light to a sample where the light is scattered from within the sample in a direction that is normal to a surface of the sample to form a sample beam and is reflected from a top surface of the sample in a direction that is normal to the surface of the sample to form a reference beam where the sample beam and reference beam co-propagate. Collection optics collect light in the sample and reference beams and project the light to an interferometric combiner. The interferometric combiner is configured to interferometrically the collected light from the sample beam and collected light from the reference beam and to project the interferometrically combined light to a spectrometer that generates spectral interferometric information to determine information about the sample.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2023
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2024
    Assignees: HAMAMATSU PHOTONICS K.K., ENERGETIQ TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Qingsong Wang, Shaival Vipul Buch, Huiling Zhu
  • Patent number: 12078473
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a measuring device (10) and a method for determining a depth of field of an optical structure (100). In this case, the measuring device comprises a device body (12) with a measuring axis (14), the device body (12) being formed such that, in a measuring position, it can be placed in a stationary manner on a deposit plane of the optical structure such that the measuring axis (14) of the device body (12) coincides with an optical axis of the optical structure, wherein the device body (12) has a measurement scale (18) arranged along a scale line (16) such that the scale line (16) encloses with the direction of the measuring axis (14) a scale angle ? greater than 0° and less than 90° and the measurement scale (18) can be optically detected in the measuring position of the device body (12) by the optical structure (100) for determining the depth of field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2024
    Assignee: Universität Stuttgart
    Inventors: Patrick Foltyn, Bernhard Weigand, Norbert Roth